


Pick a card (Let's talk about love)

by DeepPink



Category: NU'EST
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Designer Minhyun, Eventual Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, M/M, MinRon - Freeform, Possible mentions of JRen later on, Psychic Abilities, Tarot, YouTuber Aron
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-08-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:13:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25999567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeepPink/pseuds/DeepPink
Summary: Minhyun has been watching Aron Kwak read tarot cards to his viewers for months. The enchanting Youtuber even claims to be a soul-reader: someone who can see people's soulmates with a mere touch.As a true non-believer, Minhyun is sure that Aron is scamming his audience and only enjoys his content as some sort of guilty pleasure.Despite Minhyun's personal opinions, when Aron comes unprecedented into his life and needs his company's help to design his new recording room, it feels like an opportunity he can't decline.What starts as a business partnership soon shifts into new, unexplored territory, and with his own destiny at stake, Minhyun will have to choose between his foolish heart and everything he believes in.
Relationships: Hwang Minhyun/Aaron Kwak | Aron
Comments: 1
Kudos: 15
Collections: Nu'fics x The Parallel





	Pick a card (Let's talk about love)

_ …For those of you who chose this pile, this is going to be your reading for the month of July. First off, we have the two of cups, then a six of pentacles -reversed- and lastly…  _

Minhyun took out his earphones and let out a frustrated sigh. The Youtube video he had been watching continued to play, but he wasn’t paying attention to it anymore. Moving his hands to his head, he messed with his dyed blond hair; if Mingi -his right hand man- came into the office at that moment, he would say it looked worse than a bird’s nest. He glared at the screen of his computer, with the blank email open. The blinking cursor was taunting him, laughing at him. 

It was past 11 Pm, way past his usual closing hours, and he was daydreaming about the comfort of his clean apartment and perfectly made bed. As soon as he was done with the email to Pledis, he would be able to leave. As soon as he sent it. Minhyun rubbed his tired eyes, tempted to turn off the laptop and go home anyway. Instead, he placed his fingers on the keyboard, praying for some magical inspiration that helped him write the most convincing lines anyone had ever written. 

Alas, no words came to him. Fuck. 

Pledis Co was one of the biggest retailers in the country for interior design. They carried everything, from appliances and furniture to floor panelings and paint; in other words, they had all that Minhyun’s company, Universe, needed to function properly. His was an interior design, cleaning and organizing business; his dream came true. You had piles of boxes from your last move that you never got to unpack? Universe could take care of it. Did you get the lease of a new apartment that needed some fixer-upper? Call them up. 

However, Universe was a new company. They had been open for a little over a year, and Minhyun couldn’t expect to make six-figures income in so little time, so they lived by the day with the few contracts and projects they were able to secure. When you’re in such a position, every expense counts as if a dark cloud was hanging above your head at all times. He knew that if he could secure a sponsorship with Pledis-which he had been trying to do for months- he’d be able to release the economic chokehold, at least a little. If he managed to make the negotiation prosper, he would be able to get Pledis’ products for cheaper in exchange of promoting the store. 

But it wasn’t that easy. 

The words of the last email he had received from Pledis rang in his head:  _ I am sorry, but it seems like Universe doesn’t have a good enough client portfolio for our partnership to work out. The higher ups have decided to wait until Universe has a larger platform in the market to negotiate an agreement like the one you’re seeking. Please let me know when that is the case.  _

When, aka not now. When his company needed them most. 

Taking his eyes away from the computer, Minhyun took a moment to look around his office in a useless attempt to clear his thoughts. His half of the room was perfectly tidy, not a single thing out of place. The deep chocolate brown shelves were free of any dust, his house plants had been watered accordingly, and all the storage boxes were clearly labeled. Most people would assume Minhyun kept such an environment to sustain the image of his company, but being honest, he simply enjoyed when his space looked like that; it was relaxing.

Untidiness was the bane of his existence. 

Which was the reason why he chose to ignore the black hole that was Mingi’s desk across the room with no more than a grimace. If he focused too much on it, he’d start itching to clean it up, and he knew his friend didn’t like it when he moved around his stuff. His desk was an organized mess according to him.  _ Organized my ass, _ Minhyun thought. 

Minhyun stood up from his chair and stretched his back, yawning. He had promised Mingi he would reply to that email tonight, but there was no way it was going to happen. He had a feeling that no matter how long he spent there, nothing was going to come out of him. There was no exit from this situation; the partnership was doomed. His company would continue to stumble around as if it were a toddler learning how to make their first steps. Mingi and him would have to continue as they were, keeping everything afloat. 

He closed his laptop, grabbed his two phones from his desk, and took three steps to the door. The office was so small it didn’t require more than that. He turned off the lights, got out and made sure the electronic lock made its usual ring to indicate it was safely locked. The entire building, that was pretty much small offices for rent- was empty and dark. Minhyun’s steps resonated as he made his way to the elevator and then outside. 

It was a warm summer night, a kind breeze moved the tree’s branches in a calm dance. Minhyun looked up to the sky. There were no more than a couple stars on sight, as it was usual for any city, but at least the moon was bright, clear and comforting. 

Minhyun took a deep breath and headed home. 

* * *

Mingi was on top of Minhyun as soon as he opened their office’s door the next morning. 

“Did you send the email?!” Mingi grasped his hands, looking at him expectantly. Minhyun couldn’t tell if his friend was anxious or excited as Mingi had always been genuinely expressive of his feelings, the type to wear his heart on his sleeve. It wasn’t a bad trait to have, it just meant Minhyun constantly felt like he was walking on ice. Thinking about the situation they were in, there were only two options: either something really good happened and the email wasn’t important anymore, or he was going to be called off by Mingi. 

A voice, much like a TV announcer’s, spoke in Minhyun’s head: Place your bets, ladies and gentlemen.

“Huh…” Minhyun paused, doubtful. “No?” 

Mingi let out a breath of relief, Minhyun couldn’t help but do the same. Apparently he was going to live to see one more sunrise. 

“That’s wonderful!” Mingi giggled, jumping in place a couple of times and vibrating with emotion. Whatever had happened to make his friend this happy, it had to be huge. 

“Is it?” Minhyun gently unpeeled his hands from Mingi’s, slowly walking to his desk and placing his cup of coffee on the surface. Whatever this big news was, he wasn’t going to risk his caffeine. 

Mingi had followed, Minhyun turned around to face him. Mingi clearly wanted to let everything out, but he was the type that enjoys being asked about it before talking. Minhyun enjoyed teasing his friend by pretending he wasn’t interested in whatever tea he wanted to spill. However, this particular situation involved both of them, Minhyun decided to play along with him. “What happened? Did we win the lottery?” 

“Not quite, but almost” Mingi smiled brightly, showing teeth. “We got a new potential client!” 

“Wonderful!” Happily said Minhyun, and he meant it. The news of a new client first thing in the morning always brightened up the entire day. After all, a possible new project to have fun with plus cash to their company’s account was a reason for celebration. “You seemed especially gleeful for just a regular client, though. Is there anything else-” 

“He’s big, Minhyun. The chance we’ve been looking for!” Mingi interrupted with sparkling eyes. He looked ready to burst into dancing and singing at any moment, as if they were living in a musical movie. “If we get him to join our client portfolio, we might actually stand a chance to get our partnership with HomeCo.!” 

“What?!” His eyes widened in surprise, his heart already picking up its pace. If by any chance luck had struck them at such a crucial moment, that would change everything. Brand new doors of possibilities would manifest for the company! “You’re not kidding, right? Because if this is some sort of joke to punish me for not sending that email...” 

Mingi let out a laugh, shaking his head. “I promise it’s not a joke. I found the proposition in my inbox right before you arrived. It’s marvelous!” 

“Well, what are you waiting for?” coaxed Minhyun, smiling. “Who are we potentially working for?” 

“Drum rolls, please.” 

Minhyun chuckled and gently tapped his desk with both hands, making the tempo faster as he went. 

Minhyun’s chest felt like it could burst from the excitement when Mingi cleared his throat. His lips parted and... 

“A Youtuber!” 

Minhyun’s hands stopped tapping immediately, the small bubble of enthusiasm that he had felt just moments ago popped into nonexistence. He couldn’t help but let out a groan, scowling. “I hate social media influencers. They always come asking for our services and expect them for free in exchange for exposure.” Minhyun continued ranting, “ And I know, we do need a good dose of that, but a Youtube video call-out and a couple of Instagram pictures do not pay the bills!” 

“I know, I know.” Soothed Mingi, giving Minhyun a couple of pats on the shoulder for good measure. “I know, so I made sure this was not one of those propositions. They clearly stated they will pay full-price if we send out a quotation and they agree with it.” 

Minhyun grimaced, but nodded. “Well, that’s at least something. Who’s this youtuber, anyway? How big are we talking?” 

“This is where things get awesome.” Mingi took a seat on Minhyun’s desk, making himself comfortable. It was clear he was still feeling elated, but now it was time for business. Minhyun was extremely grateful for Mingi and what he did. His friend could be over the top sometimes, even a little overwhelming, but he was more passionate and goal-oriented that most people Minhyun had met in his entire life. He knew what he wanted and was willing to fight for it until the end. “I don’t remember exact numbers, but the guy has over half a million subscribers and a couple hundred thousand followers in his other social media accounts.” 

Minhyun whistled. “That’s a lot of people.” 

“I think so too. I will check his platform later today -we can’t risk partnering with someone that’s carrying a bad reputation on their back. Afterwards we can run our numbers and send them the necessary information.” 

“Sounds good,” Minhyun said, “You haven’t given me any names, though. What’s the channel?”

“Ah, Psych duck or something. I’ve heard of it, it’s a soul-reader’s channel.” 

Minhyun cringed inside. 

Mingi groaned and sat on the desk crossed legged. Disgusting. He had just cleaned it the day before! Minhyun raised a finger, ready to call him off and potentially pushing him to the floor, but Mingi was already asking him a question. “Come on, Hwang. Now what? You’re all bummed out again, it's not like I told you I want to eat my sweet little kitten Lucky for dinner! You’re all weird, when you should be all over the moon.”

“First of all, no feet on the surface of my desk, please.” Minhyun crossed his arms in front of him and raised a brow. Mingi rolled his eyes as he painstakingly adjusted his seating position, moving his legs to hang in front of him again. Minhyun nodded once in approval. “I am elated, I promise. I’m just not sure I want to work for a scammer.” 

“What do you mean with that statement?” 

“I know that channel. The host does stuff like card readings and _ ‘make your own crystal pouch’  _ tutorials. Nonsense directed to gullible people who give him views and merch money.” He uncrossed his arms and rested his palms on his desk. “Working for people like him, who use others, selling promises of bright futures that he knows are pure lies.. I don’t know, Mingi. Might not be the best decision.” 

“You and your sense of rightfulness.” Mingi sighed, playing with a strand of his shoulder length hair. “You know I do believe in soul-readers. Maybe this Psych duck dude is one of them.” 

“There are not legit, science has never been able to-” 

Mingi quickly caught him half-sentence. It was not the time for a faith vs. nature debate. “Anyway, how do you even know the channel if you’re so keen he’s all deception and fraud?” 

“I- Uh- Watched a couple of his videos a while ago, I was curious.” Minhyun picked a piece of lint from his sleeve, trying to look as laid-back and confident.

_ You’ve watched more than a couple of Aron’s videos. As early as yesterday you were enjoying his content. _ Reprimanded a voice in his head, sounding a lot like his conscience.  _ Oh shut the heck up,  _ Minhyun replied, _ I just like his voice, it’s quite relaxing! And he has a handsome face. That doesn’t mean I want to support him, or work for him, for all that matters. _

Truth was, Minhyun had been watching Aron’s channel -Psych Duck- for a little over six months. It wasn’t something he felt particularly proud of, and he had tried to stop more than once, but there was something about the guy that kept bringing him back for more. Minhyun wasn’t lying when he told Mingi he didn’t believe in anything the guy said -or read with his tarot cards, whatever-. 

The fact that he pretended to be a soul-reader only made things worse. 

Minhyun was a romantic, he truly was. He believed romantic love was powerful and unexpected; something beautiful to be cherished. But soul-readers asserted they had a special power to help you find them. They declared that they possessed a gift to see into the past or future of anyone, that they could watch their first meeting to the one person in the world that would complement them as if they were watching a movie. 

In other words, prey on vulnerable, lonely people that wished for nothing more than to meet their soulmate and get some love in their life. Minhyun had all the right to be skeptical about the whole fiasco. 

“Think about it, okay? It’s not like I can force you, and you look like you’re driving yourself insane in that pretty little mind of yours.” Said Mingi, getting off the desk in one fluid motion. “Let me know in a couple of hours. For me, I say we should jump into it ASAP.” He walked to the other side of the room and got set up in his own desk. 

Minhyun sighed, closed his eyes for a moment and opened them again. 

He needed to do this. For him, for Mingi and the company. It may be their golden ticket, their one chance to truly get things moving. 

“Mingi, I don’t need to think about it,” Minhyun took a deep breath, his friend’s expectant eyes already on him. “We should accept. Email me all the information we have, then we can set up a meeting with them to discuss the details.” 

“On it,” Mingi grinned and winked. “But keep in mind you already accepted, you can’t back out now.”

Minhyun nodded, suspicion crawling in the back of his mind. There was something Mingi wasn’t telling him, 

It was until later, when Mingi re-sent him the original email, that Minhyun found out what was going on. 

Aron had requested for the designer to appear in his videos. He wanted to film some vlogs. 

And Minhyun was completely and utterly fucked. 


End file.
